EachOverwatch 2hero plays drastically differently from everyone else. From the jump pack-leaping Winston to the newly-released, plant-basedhealer Lifeweaver, all the heroes come with abilities that add a unique flavor to the battlefield. One of the most controversial heroes in the roster is none other than Junkrat.
Jamison Fawkes, aka “Junkrat,” is a damage hero and a part of the originalOverwatchroster when the game first came out in 2016. Along with his partner Mako Rutledge, aka “Roadhog,” Junkrat travels around the world stealing treasure and making a name for himself as a criminal. His explosive moveset may have earned the ire of manyOverwatchandOverwatch 2players over the years, but there is more to the hero than meets the eye.
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Why Junkrat’s Abilities are Great in Overwatch 2
Junkrat’s skills as a demolitionist, pyromaniac, and criminal have allowed him a moveset that involves lobbing all sorts of explosives and traps. The frag grenades he fires from his Frag Launcher deal 120 damage on a direct hit and 10-80 splash damage when they explode near enemy players. The projectiles travel in an arc and aren’t very fast, but they make up for it with massive damage. When combined with Concussion Mine, another one of Junkrat’s throwable abilities that deals 30-100 damage, he can quickly take care of squishy targets and decimate the health of largerTank heroes inOverwatch 2.
Because his core abilities have such high damage potential, Junkrat can be a nuisance to the enemy team. He can lob frag grenades at an angle ad infinitum where they last a while before exploding. With this simple but effective method, he can block off integral areas like the first choke point onOverwatch 2’s King’s Row mapwithout subjecting himself to a direct line of fire. Add in his Concussion Mine and Steel Trap abilities and Junkrat can surprise players with extreme burst damage and long immobilization times. That doesn’t count his RIP Tire ultimate ability - which can be controlled remotely to eliminate foes from all angles - and passive ability Total Mayhem - which renders him immune to his explosives and allows him to drop a cluster of frag grenades upon dying.
It Takes Skill To Master Overwatch 2’s Junkrat
Despite his strengths, Junkrat does come with his share of weaknesses. He is not very good at engaging targets directly from mid to long ranges, making him easy prey for heroes likeOverwatch 2’s Cassidyor Widowmaker. Junkrat also isn’t mobile all the time, as he needs to use one of his two available Concussion Mines to get around quickly. But his biggest weakness lies in his predictability. Because Junkrat’s abilities are so slow compared to otherOverwatch 2heroes, players can easily counter him with the right approach. They can avoid areas spammed by his frag grenades and look for angles Junkrat cannot cover. Constantly being on the lookout for his other abilities such as his Steel Trap and RIP Tire also help.
To play Junkrat effectively, players have to understand the hero’s strengths and weaknesses and use them to counter the enemy team’s moves. Leaving a Streel Trap around corners, saving Concussion Mines for burst damage or repositioning purposes, and misleading enemies by spamming frag grenades only to switch positions and fire somewhere else are just some ofOverwatch 2’s trips and tricks for playing Junkrat. Junkrat players can even use his abilities' weird trajectories to their advantage by lobbing grenades and Concussion Mines from cheeky angles.
By subverting enemy players' expectations of the hero, Junkrat can be stronger than he initially is. Pro Junkrat players can properly position their Frag Launcher and Concussion Mine to take outflying Pharah inOverwatch 2, or even Widowmaker - two heroes that hard-counter Junkrat. He may be easy to pick up and play, but there is more to Junkrat than meets the eye. His damage potential combined with the many ways he can provide value without exposing himself makes him a strong pick in certain situations.
Overwatch 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
